I would like to start this review by stating that I have taken most of my trips with another cruise line and I am extremely disappointed in everything on this trip. We spent 5k for our cruise and another 2k for travel and adventures and needed stuff including WiFi for cruise for two people as they make you pay per device and didn’t receive 5k in services or travel! The vessel is a bit outdated inside but it’s still comfy as far as the room size and shower goes but then again I am in a stateroom. There are people on board whom due to being on the vessel for months have had hair loss due to the chemical treatment of water so I evil be using bottled water to wash the rest of this trip! The food is horrid in the buffet and main dining is pretty decent but takes too long to get food and it seems to take two hours to eat. The specialty dining has extremely long waits and when told to arrive early and we do we still sit for 45 minutes. I want to also express that the ports they take you to on the Adriatic Sea is horrid really and nothing to see so you will spend a lot of money to actually get a speed boat to take you other places if you want to actually see something and the staff and their tv tells you this when you board so wow. The fast high speeds boat you rent will want you to leave at 8:30 or 9:30 am. I also don’t think you should have to dress up for dinner because why dress up to eat then go to sleep as the entertainment on ship is obsolete and what’s offered it a joke. The internet is horrible and it is for the boat as well and employees will Tell you their device is down also in customer relations. The only entertainment they have is a blonde headed chick that her boobs are about to fall Out of her tank top that had cuts in the front the whole trip! They play a sound track of about ten songs on the boat over and over and the song “ swear I don’t have any gun” has played about 199 times in 4 days as it plays all day over and over and young and old both complain. Unaware why they have a chick wearing a tank top by the pool singing with her holes in it with her boobs hanging out as I felt I was at a strip club. She also sings almost the same songs they play over and over and this trip is horrible for Americans and French for sure! This isn’t a family cruise either by no means as there is nothing for kids to do so they run everywhere and throw sandbags from the corn hole game all day on deck with no supervision and the staff did notthing! If I were you I would fly to the area you want to visit and wing it cause these people are not taking you to any port you want to see! There is no entertainment on this ship and nothing to do and it’s boring and there are no shops except jewelry and liquor basically and all the ship is geared for is alcohol and sleep and some food! The room service night menu has basically bologna and burger! Also I want to say that there are not enough people who speak English to get anything done and you will spend about 500-800 to ever use internet and the tv has one movie channel so at night there is nothing to do and no tv to watch. They play basically Star Wars and ET type movie over and over and this not a cruise for young as everything closes at 10:30 and they start shutting everything down around 7ish! The staff is scarce and the only people on the ship are to clean really and are not helpful! If you want to be on a nursing home cruise this is the one for you as they start at 7am and close at 7ish some places not many open till 10 and then the older people have to cause the loud music never stops and it’s techno type music over and over it’s horrid you want to jump ship after five days of it 24 hours a day because you cannot escape it. Also the employees on board day they have listened to this ten song soundtrack for three years in a row without change! I feel like I am on the movie “Groundhog Day”!!!!!!!!! Worst trip ever I would have rather been at work or cut grass all day everyday! Horrible and I do not recommend as it’s a waste of money and def buyers remorse!!!! Read Less

We choose this cruise due to travel dates and destinations. However if I’d known the minimal standard of this ship I would of seemed alternative options. On embarking it was chaos it clearly states on boarding papers that it commences at 11.30am. However didn’t get on board till 2.30pm. No crew took charge provided any updates. On board it clearly states where smoking is allowed and smoking in cabins or on cabin balconies is not permitted. Leaving Venice everyone was smoking flicking ash etc. contacted reception who advised us to contact them with cabins who were doing it so they could address it. We asked several guests not to flick there ash it was blowing on us but people were rude and aggressive in their response. We contacted reception who said security would speak to guests. However when security turned up they said it was an issue for housekeeping. Our issue with the smoking was that people were flicking aah and not been respectful of others. Mindue has to have a giggle when the ship sells cheap cigarettes onboard. the pool area was overcrowded with on average 40+ adults and minimum 10 children in each of the pools at one time. There is no adult only areas at all. The bars etc has no limitations either. One night we went down for disco at midnight and guests were turning up there with prams with young babies. The music was so loud and young children were grisly. Certainly not a place to take your young children. Excursions. We were meant to go to Mykonos but due to Weather we were diverted twice and arrived at Chania. However customer service could provide no information on the town and there response was they hadn’t been there before. No initiative to seek information for guests. We were then advised that they would discount the bus shuttle for £5. Upon arrival at port it was chaos no crew were there giving directions and the lines trying to get out gates were insane. Finally after people had been in line in the hot sun for over 30minutes the crew went out to assist. It was frustrating as people with young families had stood in line for a long time waiting for shuttles and when you got to gate you could get local bus following the same route for £3.40 and taxi one way was £10. To give them credit we enjoyed the excursions to Olympia, acropolis. However each one costs average of £60 Disembarking: Each person was allocated tags/colours along with times. Initially they were announcing groups then this ceased along with the updates on the screen s. It wasn’t until we approached crew that they advised we could disembark. Upon leaving ship there was one free shuttle to transport all passengers to the main terminal. Again no communication from crew. Terribly unorganised ship Read Less

I have been on over 20 cruises mostly with NCL, MSC, RCI and P&O. In April I sailed on this ship on the repositioning cruise via Suez canal. I booked it again in August for my recently widowed friend and her son as I had enjoyed the previous cruise in April. The friendliness of the very hard working crew is phenomenal. The performers in the Broadway Theatre are the best I have seen on a cruise ship, the standard of the shows is excellent. They really should be in west end shows. It is a smaller ship that is very easily navigated from bars, theatre to dining rooms and cabins. We are mainly in the main dining room as the food and service was so good we didn't want to go anywhere else. Captain Chris and Katy the cruise director work so hard to ensure that all guests are well looked after. We will certainly be booking the Marella again. Read Less

First of all, we had a wonderful experience on the Celebrity Constellation when we sailed August 6, 2019 for a 9 night Greek Cruise, EXCEPT using Flights by Celebrity. I booked 2 Aqua Class rooms for friends and 1 Royal Suite for myself and my friend for a special 50th birthday celebration. We booked this in February 2019. I can not say enough about the Royal suite and our Butler, Ali. We had suite 6133 and he and the stateroom attendant are top notch!! Also a shout out to Joyce in the coffee bar/Michaels club. She’s an absolute delight. Now the issue...I booked this direct with Celebrity for the rooms and the airfare for the Royal Suite and 1 Aqua class room and paid in full in May, when full payment was due. I first found out several weeks before the trip my 1 hr 10 min layover in Chicago to Venice had been reduced to 35 min to change gates and get my luggage aboard. When I called Celebrity they informed me that the change to 35 minutes was an “acceptable” amount of time to find the connecting gate and have my luggage transferred. Since we were meeting friends in Venice for a day and half before the cruise, I was very concerned about the layover time. I called back again to Celebrity to be told I would have to pay Celebrity several hundred dollars to take a flight 2 hours earlier from Charlotte to Chicago through American Airlines. Frustrated, I called American Airlines directly and they changed my flight to the earlier flight with no issue and no charge. Then a couple weeks before leaving I realized Celebrity had me on the very last seat on the plane on one side window, and my friend on the very back of the plane on the opposite side of the plane window to Venice. I booked this in February...I finally called and paid American Airlines direct to change our seats to be together. Then came check in with American Airlines 24 hours in advance. I could only check into Chicago, but not all the way to Venice. We spent over an hour waiting in line at American Airlines ticket counter as we could not do curbside checkin all the way to Venice...The final straw was trying to check in back to Charlotte from Venice 24 hours before the flight. When I could not check in but my friend who did check in with no issue, since he booked his flight directly with American Airlines, he informed me they had 8 first class upgrades available for $500 each. I went to our private concierge agent in Michael’s lounge (since we had the Royal Suite) for assistance sInce I wanted the first class upgrade deal. I was worried by the time we went to check into the airport 3 hours before flight the upgrade offer would be sold out. (No surprise it was sold out). She did everything possible to check us in but could not check us OR previous clients using Flights by Celebrity in when check in was available August 14th. Let me say she went out of her way to help, but when she finally called Flights by Celebrity they told her I could upgrade to first class for over $4,000 one way. She was just as amazed as I was with the response from Flights by Celebrity and mentioned she would email corporate to inform them of the situation, even thought nothing could be done. I paid $1,800 to Celebrity for my round trip flight each person, which I am sure I could have done direct with American Airlines and never had these issues. I wasted 3 hours of our last cruise day dealing with this. We used the spa services, several specialty restaurants for all 7 of us, gambled every night but one, closing down the casino each night and tipping the staff very well during the cruise on top of the prepaid tip package. We also bought a great deal of high end wine as this was a once in a lifetime trip for a few of the 7 that traveled together. The service from Flights by Celebrity was a slap in the face considering the amount of money I spent on that trip for all of us. Oh, by the way, on our return flight from Philly to Charlotte Flights by Celebrity had us both on the last back seats on the plane, but at least this time we were side by side. Never again will I book my flights through this company. I will go directly to the airline for my flights to save all the wasted time, frustration and money. Read Less

This was my second msc cruise along with my wife and two boys (14,11) and it did not disappoint. Yes most people on the ship are european which i dont mind cause i am fluent in italian and spanish, yes many people smoke, yes people cut the lines but for an american if you can get passed this you will find that most people will go out of their way to help you or provide service to you! Probably your best tool in your belt if your an american is tipping. In europe its not customary but i always tip and always find that a small tip can yield unbelievable results. Any way the cruise the ports were fantastic, the ship was clean and easy to navigate, no days at sea so no need to worry about the kids and a water park as your not on the ship much. The food is definitely above average for the price point and the pizza Never disappoints. The crew was spectacular a special thanks to the assistant maitre’d giuseppe esposito who fulfilled our every request in the dining room. Also i had the pleasure to interact with the hotel director giuseppe russo, i have to admit the most gracious host i ever met on any cruise, he sat with us talked with us and was genuinely excited to see americans on the ship. He made us feel like a million dollars and sent us a special surprise with his compliments. Everything about the cruise was great and we will definitely be cruising with msc again! Don’t hesitate to give them a try you will not be disappointed! Read Less

This summer we decided, for our vacation, to book a cruise that sailed from Venice, Italy to the Greek islands and back. Leg 1 of our cruise brought us to Kotor in Montenegro. While there we took a guided bus excursion allowing us to see and visit the 5th century town of Budva still surrounded by the original city walls. Right away when walking in you get taken back in time. The ancient city is made up of narrow streets and many churches. Budva is one of the oldest settlements on the Adriatic coast. After we visited Budva we returned back towards the port and the old city of Kotor. There we had a short guided tour within the fortified walls of the old city. Breathtaking and worth the visit. The second leg of the cruise brought us to Mykonos. Our first time here and expectations were high. We booked 2 excursions. The first one was an island tour. Like most of the islands in the cyclades group of islands, most of the landscape of Mykonos is dry. Our bus and tour guide took us around the island giving us a chance to capture beguiling views of Mykonos town and the old port, before a scenic route brought us through the picturesque villages of Agios Ioannis and Kalafatis, eventually ending up at Ornos beach. Here we were able to relax and swim for a couple of hours before heading back to the ship. In the evening we returned onto the island. A windmill-dotted landscape, friendly locals and a particularly lively night-time clubbing scene have all gone to make Mykonos the popular holiday destination it is today. For this tour will see you leave the ship, hopon a local, public seabus for a short trip to theold port to enjoy an evening of Greek hospitalityand a light dinner in a restaurant. In addition todelicious local specialities and wine, you willalso get to enjoy a folkloric show while at therestaurant. You can even join in yourself andshake a leg or, if you prefer, simply clap in timewith the music. The tour also includes a guidedwalk around the narrow lanes of Mykonos town, full of whitewashed houses and enclosed gardens. The third leg of our cruise brought us to Santorini. A short tender boat ride from the ship brought us to Athinios port where we will boarded a bus to Oia, a typical Greek village characterized by narrow streets with traditional white churches with blue dome. A picture-postcard vision of the Mediterranean! This village offers a breathtaking viewover the Gulf of Santorini. Following our visit to Oia our bus brought us to Perivolos Beach, a picturesque stretch of black pebbles giving onto the beautiful blue of the Aegean Sea. We stayed about an hour and a half to enjoy beach life. Before embarking back on the bus we had a typical Greek meal at the Kouzina restaurant located along the sea front. The service was great and the food was very tasty. Once back at the port, a boat ride took us back to ou ship. The fourth leg of our cruise took us to Corfu. In the days of ancient Greece, Corfu marked the final stage of the legendary trip made by the mythological Greek god, Odysseus, on hisjourney home to Ithaca. This tour give us a chance to enjoy Corfus lush landscape as we travelled around the island. The excursion included a visit to Achilleions Palace, a beautiful white mansion and the former residence of Queen Elizabeth of Austria who was also known as Sissi. The richly decorated palace is set in pretty gardens overlooking the sea and is dedicated to another hero from Greek mythology, Achilles. Before returning to the port we will also had a chanceto pay Corfu town a brief visit and spend a little free time strolling around. While in Corfu we also visited the Church of Saint Spyridon, a Greek Orthodox church. It was built in the 1580s and houses the relics of Saint Spyridon. Its bell tower is the highest in the Ionian Islands and it is the most famous church in Corfu. The fifth and last leg of our cruise took us to Bari. Here we decided to to discover Bari on our own. We took a little road train tour around Bari’s historical quarter witch gave us a chance to view the local marvellous medieval architecture. We passed by the magnificent Baris old Norman castle for anexternal viewing after visiting the Basilica of St. Nicholas. This church was built in honour of Bari’s patron saint and founded towards the end of the 11th century A.D. The Basilica is an important religious pilgrimage site. Before returning to the ship we had a chance to roam through the little medieval streets where we had a chance to have a refreshment and to buy some souvenirs. With that, we headed back to our ship for the last night of our cruise. We had a great time and would recommend this adventure to anyone. It was great waking up in a different place every day. The MSC crew and staff was amazing. We would like to say a special thanks to Rowena D’Esposito, our guest relation manager, and to Mundir, our cabin attendant. Every one on the ship was great but these two really went out of their way to make sure that we had a great cruise. The buffets and restaurants leave you wanting for nothing. Our cabin was cleaned twice a day, every day. Truly spoiled. There is always something going on all the time. There are numerous lounges with live music and drinks to satisfy all tastes and there is even a great disco for the young and the young at heart. If you like to try your hand at chance, there is also a casino onboard. Every night you can enjoy live shows at the ships theatre. We had a great time and we would sail again with MSC. Read Less

The boat is a bit older but had some really nice unique things,like in the blu dining room you could see out from every seat,the bar kept curtains open later and the ocean view cafe was spread out so flowed better. They also left salad bar open longer which is great if you got back later in the day. The need to reconfigure the spa and Persian gardens.spa rooms were too bright the Persian garden too dark. Flip them!!I missed the fresh fruit that we got daily in aqua class. Also if you are cruising in europe pre book and pre pay for excursions to avoid added vat charge. Also Tuscan and qsine were not as good as on solstice. I loved that the pool areas were larger in both the solarium and the open one,but I hated that the canyon spa,breakfast,lunch area was dark,hidden and didn't have ice. We had an issue with a cancelled due to conditions excusion,we had to get the group together and argue to be reimbursed. Thanks to Norbert it was resolved but was alot of wasted time. Read Less

Disappointed with MSC and state of cabin. Asked steward to bleach shower floor as covered in mould but he said it was a problem with the grout. Looked and smelled like mould and needed a good scrub. They also definitely need more staff to serve in bars and to clear tables. Tables are always left with plates and food and you have to call the staff over to clean your table. Was told in one bar that I needed to buy drinks to get food. Aren't they supposed to feed us whilst onboard? Drink prices are way too high. My gold card got me no benefits when disembarking and had to wait for all the lower cabins to disembark first. Was told if I booked Aurea class I would have been given priority. So the number of cruises you have done does not matter. Would prefer other cruise lines next time. Read Less

Our cruise on MSC’s Sinfonia was our 5th cruise. We have previously cruised with Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and MSC. Our cruise last summer on MSC’s Musica was the reason we booked with MSC again. We are not picky and we had a great vacation on Sinfonia but it is definitely our least favorite of the cruises we have been on. The main reason was the food. The quality of the food was very good, but the selection was limited. I need to clarify that you will not go hungry and there is plenty to eat but in comparison to other cruises there are not near as many options. The food on the Musica last summer was excellent with many choices. It was the best food we had on a cruise and we had no idea if would differ so greatly on another of their ships. Embarkation was excellent and I think MSC does the best job of this. Getting off was another story. We were not let off until an hour later than the designated time with no explanation or any staff around to answer questions. Getting off at the ports also seemed to take longer than was anticipated. The shows were very good but not too much else for entertainment. The bar service was painfully slow. We did not get the drink package and everyday there was an advertised drink special but none of the bar staff seemed to be aware of it and we had to bring the flyer with us for them to honor it. One of the things we really enjoyed doing was sitting in the lounge chairs at the back of the boat reading in the evenings. But every evening around 7:30-8 they would come and make everyone get up so they could stack the chairs up. It was way before dark and would have been nice to sit and watch the sun set. We have never experienced this on another cruise before. The amount of chairs on the pool decks is the best of all the cruise lines we’ve been on. The cabin shower was the smallest we’ve encountered and there was no way to shower without the curtain sticking to your body. The shower curtain also had mold at the bottom of it. Other than that no complaints with the room. All in all we had a great vacation. Out of our five cruises this was the most expensive and we did not see the value in it. We may cruise with MSC again if the price is right, but definitely not on the Sinfonia. Read Less

A great two week Aegean cruise. Wonderful destinations, fantastic food and attentive staff. Cabins were kept clean at all times and the beds were turned down at night lovely touch. Chris the captain walked the ship every day and would often stop and chat sometimes show people to their tables the restaurant. This was a lovely touch, he even got involved in entertaining us one night with an officer Cupid dance! Entertainment was amazing always something to watch. We loved the daily afternoon quiz it became a ritual. My two teenagers had a great time at the hideout teen club. Housem the club leader became a true friend to them. They met some lovely friends and had a great two weeks. I couldn’t fault this Cruise we had an amazing time. I would recommend a stop in Venice as we left we had one of the entertainment crew singing opera it was amazing, I will remember it forever brought me to tears. Read Less

We wanted to do something special for our Silver wedding anniversary so we decided on the Adriatic Affair itinerary, where we celebrated our vows, followed by a hotel stay. The whole experience was fantastic. All of the staff were friendly, helpful and hardworking and the ship was lovely. Patrick, our cabin steward, was lovely. Nothing was too much trouble for him. I had a light mishap with my dress, when we were getting ready for dinner at the captain’s table; however, some of the stewards were quickly on hand with a sewing kit, so a disaster was avoided. The food and drink were plentiful. We upgraded to premium all inclusive due to us preferring ‘zero’ pop, and my husband’s love of coffee. Our Celebration of Vows, in Venice, was perfect, and Elaine ( the social/welfare hostess) ensured that everything was perfect! It was lovely that she could share our special moment with us, along with the lovely Captain Nikos. We have got some lovely photographs that were taken by the onboard photographer. Overall, we had a wonderful experience, and will definitely be back on the Celebration as soon as we can. Read Less

Having booked Merella explorer 2 as our first cruise was a choice well made. The ship is an older ship nearly 25 years old and is showing its age here and there although the ship has gone through a refit in March and those additions have added greatly to the experience. A negative was the lack of toilets on the main restaurant decks 5,6 and 7. That was the only negative. The staff were excellent and the food and drink packages were again value for money. The entertainment was good throughout the ship and the silent disco is something to behold. The cabin we had was on deck 9 with a balcony, it was spacious, the bathroom was well proportioned with the shower enclosure big enough for me as I'm six foot four. The pool deck area had enough sun loungers for all the guests and the bar staff ensured your drinks were topped up continually. On the whole it was a superb holiday with way more positives than negatives. Read Less

We chose this cruise for the itinerary (Greek isles). We travelled as a family of four with two children aged 10 and 7. We stayed in the Royal Suite a truly beautiful room. We were concerned having read some of the reviews about the ship but can honestly say this is one of the best cruises we have done. Yes the ship is older and smaller and shows some signs of wear and tear in places but what she lacks in size she delivers in personal service and atmosphere. We have done all the other class of ships in the RCI fleet. Vision is much smaller than the larger ships and therefore doesn’t have the amenities of ice rinks, flow rider, bumper cars etc. However her staff are all happy and being smaller you get a much more personal service. Our children were not disappointed having less activities . They loved the rock climbing wall and the swimming pool was never too overcrowded even though this was peak summer holiday cruise. They never visited adventure ocean as we were so busy doing other things. Vision has ample bars and the service at all was exceptional. We ate in chops, Giovanni’s and main dining and all were brilliant. The food was outstanding as was the service. There was plenty of activities held across the ship for all ages and the entertainment in the centrum was fab. Particular mention to Steve cruise director and Marcus from the entertainment team who were super. The ships theatre performance was a little disappointing compared to other ships but there was always something else going on in the centrum that it didn’t create a problem. Concierge lounge was exceptional. Jorge, the concierge was very good as was his bartender jay who made our trip so memorable. We could always get a seat in concierge and the views from the top were lovely. We visited Barcelona, Cannes, Rome, Pisa, Athens, Mykonos, Santorini and Malta. We loved all the ports and took shore excursions with RCI at Athens, Mykonos and Malta. All were well organised and delivered well. I would not hesitate to return to Vision. Read Less

The Celebrity Constellation delivered an excellent cruise experience in the honored tradition of ancient Greek voyages of exploration. This marvelous and memorable Greek Isles cruise featured some of the most fascinating and historical sites on the earth to visit--Athens with the stunning Acropolis, Rhodes with the solemn Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights, Santorini with rediscovered ancient Akritori (Atlantis?), Delos with the majestic Terrace of Lions, and Olympia with the remains of the massive temple of Zeus. And the cherry on the top was starting the cruise in romantic, serene, mesmerizing Venice! Yes, this cruise was selected mainly for this wonderful itinerary, but Celebrity cruise line always delivers with excellent service, comprehensive activities, and tasty meals. As we were on a shore excursion every day (and yes, I always book the cruise line excursions to be first off and to have guaranteed returns), we had an inside cabin which was very quiet and relaxing after long, busy tours. We also prefer traditional main room dining at a set time so we can have a regular dining time and engage more personally with our servers. Our room attendant and wait staff were very friendly and provided outstanding service. The main dining room food variety was very good and usually quite tasty. Lobster, baked Alaska, filet mignon and cherries jubilee were all on our menu. We also preferred going to the dining room on sea days for breakfast and lunch, or the relaxing and lovely spa. The Ocean View cafe was convenient and quick, but usually crowded and a bit hectic. We enjoyed dressing up for formal nights and taking photos, and made it to the fun Rock and Roll show, Broadway show and the Latino dance party. The two pools and the sun deck areas were always popular and very enjoyable. Shopping was plentiful but the added VAT tax made purchases more onerous. The library was a nice spot and the many children on the cruise seemed well taken care of and entertained in the children's clubs. Our cruise director was quite funny and great. The captain and officers were very courteous and visible throughout the voyage. The passengers were an international mix and many were seasoned travelers. This was a cruise of a lifetime and Celebrity made the experience a wonderful dream come true! Read Less

- Embarkation and disembarkation were normally late and very bad organised creating chaotic moments. Nobody gave us proper information or answers to our demands. - Food on the buffet were always the same, not very good quality. The bar service took a very long time to serve drinks when you tried so. You'd rather go to take it yourselve if you want to have something to drink while eating... However dinners were better. - Staff (unless few people) was quite impolite. However it is quite understandable having seen their shifts of work... 7 days a week, morning, evening and night... - Time for excursion is not enough - Pools were very small for the amount of people "staying" at the boat and it was quite difficult to take a free hammock In general, the experience was quite disappointing, they sell a "Magnificent" cruise but it is far away from that. Read Less

We have just returned from our 7 day cruise departing venice and travelling to Bari, Katakolon, Santorini, Pireas and Kotor in Montenegro and we couldnt recommend this cruise highly enough! We travelled on the much larger MSC Seaview last year and I have to say I much preferred this size of ship although we didnt spend much time in the pool area as we had access to the top 16 deck with its two large jacuzzis. it is more mangeable and I was able to find my way around far easier than on the larger ship. I found the food was good overall, the restaurant food was lovley but the buffet was a bit basic and we seemed to always be going there when they were closing some part of it so we hardly ever saw the full choices available. Breakfast for the kids was perfect, pancakes, fruit, waffles etc as well as the usual cooked breakfast and cold meats etc available for adults. Loved the fact that they had a large range of sauces from around the world including UK HP Sauce. Lunch was a bit basic but it could just have been that we were dining later than most people and they had closed off some areas. We only had dinner in the buffet once and to be honest I much preferred the restaurant as we were able to have a proper conversation without one of the kids wanting us to get them something else from the buffet. The restaurant food was lovely and our waiter was really nice, enjoyed the meal times there. We travelled with 2 kids and to be honest they would hardly leave the kids club so it felt like we had a real break! The kids club was excellent and there were lots more english speaking kids there this time. Staff were really nice and it was secure so I didnt have to worry about them. Loved the top 16 deck area, our kids could play in the jacuzzi and we could relax and read. All in all I really enjoyed my week on maginfica. Read Less

We had been watching the last-minute deals for European cruises over the past few months, and when it transpired that none of our three young-adult offspring could join us on vacation, my husband and I made the decision to go on this 7 day Adriatic cruise out of Venice, even though it was at the peak of the insane tourist season in Europe--the deal we got was just too good to pass up! Having heard that the Celebrity Infinity is soon to be renovated and somewhat "worn", I was a bit concerned, but should not have been. The decor, carpeting, lounges and bars were inviting and well-maintained, and we found nothing to grumble about in that regard. Embarkation in Venice was seamless, allowing us to board shortly after noon, and we were greeted with glasses of prosecco in the grand foyer. Lunch was being served and we had time to orient ourselves to the ship prior to the obligatory mustering drill. Our cabin, despite having been reserved last-minute and being interior, was more than adequate: plenty of hangers, closet space, drawers, and shelving in the room and in the bathroom, though I could always used more hooks. An umbrella was provided, which turned out to be handy the first two days of the cruise, during which it rained quite a bit. Robes were provided. We never received an ice bucket in the room, but never requested one, as we had the beverage package and no need to have drinks in the room. Our cabin steward was friendly and unobtrusive and quickly realized we are late to bed, late to rise sort of folks. Having booked last-minute, we did not have a set dining time, but rather open seating: we were willing nearly every evening to sit with others and were lucky enough to meet some very lively dinner companions from Ireland, Scotland, and Britain (?no other Americans were willing to meet others at dinner?). The food was very good across the board, so we had no reason to try any of the specialty restaurants. We ate every breakfast in the Oceanview Cafe/buffet and enjoyed the omelet and waffle station. We usually returned from port days to eat a bit of something there as well, but always had dinner in the dining room. Given that we were at different tables at different times each night, it was not possible to develop any relationship with our servers, but they were all competent and friendly across the board. Nightly entertainment was good but not necessarily great: the comedian was a bit spotty, especially on his second night, the ship's dancers and singers were good and entertaining, the acrobats that appeared twice were GREAT, the musicians in the lounges were very good, and "Monananda" (a singer and guitarist couple from LA) were fantastic. They had a CD on offer one evening when out at the Mast Bar, and we felt badly that we didn't purchase one, but who carries cash around on board? Our SeaPass card was all we needed to purchase things on the ship! The fitness area was large and had plenty of machines to get a workout, but I always wish there were more FREE classes/activities rather than the for-fee ones (what about Zumba?) The locker room had 3 showers, 3 toilets, lockers, sinks, towels, and a hair dryer, but no lotion. The sauna was rarely busy but one evening it was merely tepid and not inviting. We only went on one ship's excursion as we had never been in Montenegro and didn't know what to expect. The port of Kotor was also our only tendered port and we wanted to make sure that, being on a ship's excursion, we would get back to the ship in time no matter what. Our excursion from Kotor went to Budva, on the Adriatic coast, and the only disappointing thing about the day was that, on the way back, we were brought to a "leather showroom" and had to watch models show the wares and then spent ~20minutes in the showroom being asked if we were interested in buying anything . . . NO. The ship is well laid out. The pools were a bit small for the number of passengers on the ship and the hot weather, but it was great to have the interior (covered) thallasotherapy pools to decompress some of the adults, as this was a quieter area (usually), and would be usable in inclement or cool weather as well. The Rooftop terrace was a comfy area where outdoor movies were shown and where Moananda played one night. The Constellation Lounge was the main area for music and dancing in the evening. The Rendevous Lounge was where much of the trivia was held. The Martini Bar was always hopping when we passed by. Read Less

From the moment we boarded in Venice to the time we left this cruise was an absolute nightmare. Firstly there were incredible lines waiting to board making everyone stand in the sun in above 40 degree temperatures. There were only two people handling this and it was so poorly run. Then we left the port 10 hours later than scheduled which then impacted on the time we spent in Split, Croatia. We spent the grand total of two hours in port!!!!There were four other cruise ships in port at the time and all of the others left at scheduled time. All of the port stops were short and rushed! The disembarkation procedures were appalling and poorly processed. The entertainment on board was pathetic and the activities did not cater for all passengers.The quality of the buffet food was terrible and was continually the same and some of the reception staff were rude and did not know what they were doing. This cruise was supposed to be the relaxing end to a wonderful European holiday but it turned out the be such a disappointment! Will NEVER use this cruise line again! Read Less

For some background, my dad took me (19 years old) and my brother (27 years old) on our first cruise. Since this was my brother and I’s first cruise our expectations were not high. We saw a lot of bad reviews before coming but we decided to give the cruise line a shot. All of the ports on this cruise were gorgeous and we had a good time other than the ship being delayed causing us to get off early to make our flight back to Toronto. This is a long review but I hope it helps. Pros / SERVICE: Sheldon Dsouza the bartender and his girlfriend Maria are great! They were the best thing about the cruise! Sheldon is usually in the blue velvet lounge at night. They were also the best service we got on the ship. The ports were also beautiful. Time of ship / Communication of workers: I have heard cruises are usually on time but this one would arrive and leave late from the ports. Two days before the cruise ended, they notified us we would get into our last port late causing us to miss our flight. There was not much help from reception at all to help us figure something out and what we should do. We ended up getting off a day early, in Croatia. We dropped about $1400 on plane tickets to Venice so we could catch our flight from Venice to Toronto. Reception told us all we had to do was go to deck 4 and ask where immigration was. But nobody knew and was just sending us to different people. We were supposed to get off in Venice at 9 am, so the travel person with Expedia that we were organizing the trip with told us just not to book our flight before 12. We booked it for 12:30 and she said we would be fine. Now that we were getting in 2 hours late, we would miss our flight. (Note: Our friends we met told us they did not get to the airport till 1pm. Lesson learned to book a late flight or book one for the next day!) Boarding/First day: The day the cruise started, everyone seemed to get boarding passes/luggage tags in the mail but we got nothing. Disembarking at the ports were not organized at all unless you had an excursion it was pretty organized. Boarding in Brindisi took a long time to board, I guess since everyone got back at like the same time on the shuttles. For the restaurant seating arrangements; we did not have any arrangements till the day of. Unlike others had it done before they got there. Apparently, they have difficulties with the Canadian website so that may have been the problem. Kids/Activities: there were a lot of kids on the cruise and all were around the pool area so could not really “relax”. There was an adult’s only area on the top deck for an extra fee but it is not worth it. It is just a bar and some chairs. I also found there were not a lot of activities during the day which was fine since we would just spend the day at the port. Money: We choose MSC due to the fact it was cheaper. But a lot of added stuff just boosted up the price, like the fact water or soft drinks were not included so you had to buy the drink package. Free water in the caf, but buying water bottles at dinner was 2.90 euros for the big one. Not a big deal but even though we said no they added a unisef donation (1 euro/ person). Security: there was a lot of security to get off / on the boat. Which I think caused most of the delay to get onto to the boat. We had to keep retaking our picture since they did not like it and thought it was too blurry. Theme nights: the cruise line did not let us know the theme nights beforehand (formal, white, causal). So, we packed nice clothes for dinner of course, but my brother and my dad did not pack white. There was then a white party at night so they did not want to go and be the only ones not wearing white. So, would have been nice to know beforehand. Entertainment: Did not go to any during the day since we were enjoying ourselves at the ports. At night, we went to the shows. They were good. Some nights they had a party after but we did not attend any. We would just go hang out in the blue velvet lounge with our favourite bartender (Sheldon). I did not go to the disco but I heard from someone else they did dance lessons in there one night lol. Wi-fi: wi-fi sucked and gets used up very quickly. You can track the usage online though and see which person uses the most Wi-Fi. You can all use it at the same time but it does make it run a little slower. Food: food at dinner was very good. Breakfast and lunch were not as good. During breakfast once, there is a sit down one and there was a hair in my pineapple. They asked if I wanted anything but all I wanted was a fruit tray..without hair lol. They got my room number so we thought maybe they would do something but they did not, which is fine. It is also a mess trying to get around the buffet area since it is so busy. There was a snack bar open at night but it was very upsetting since there was barely any food (if you want pizza after 10:30 you have to pay for room service). Cabins: We had an oceanview balcony. It was small for three people but the balcony helped with getting air into the room. Our fridge did not work though; we let them know and they came two days later. We just wanted the fridge to keep our own water cooler but keeping it out in the room kept it colder than the fridge. Fitness & Rec: Gym was small. They also said there was a ‘golf practice’ on the ship but there was none. When I asked where it was they pointed me to the mini-golf even though on the signs on the ship it showed golf practice on deck 13 and mini gold on deck 15. Also said there was a ‘power walking track’ but there was no track either. Excursions: The most organized thing about the cruise. We did a “bus transfer to Olympia” in Katakolon and just bought our tickets to inside there. We saved about half the price without doing the tour and we loved it. They had signs explaining what everything was, so if you can read. I suggest doing this instead of the tour. In Athens, we did “Athens and the Acropolis”. Very busy but the tour guide was good. There was not much free time in Athens to eat so make sure you eat before or bring food. Then in Dubrovnik, we did the Kayak tour and it was beautiful. It is a lot of work but loads of fun. Lunch is included in the tour which is nice. Would I take this cruise line again or recommend it? Nope. WE ALL LOVED THE PORTS THOUGH! Read Less

We chose the cruise to celebrate our Pearl Wedding Anniversary because of the dates and itinerary and the reviews that Celebrity first class. We have been on many previous cruises with several other cruise lines but we hadn’t been to the ports on the Dalmatian coast. After 3 wonderful nights in Venice we boarded the ship, which was a very fast and efficient experience. We were given half a glass of fizz to welcome us on board. We had booked Concierge class so enjoyed the lunch in the dining room after boarding. Our stateroom on deck 8 was fine, the balcony was small compared to other ships we’ve on and a bit rusty but we didn’t mind that really. There was plenty of plugs both European and USA. Nice toiletries. However, what spoiled it for us was the main dining room experience. We had requested late dining and a table for 2, being our wedding anniversary. The table for 2 was jammed between another table for 2 and a large noisy family table. It was so noisy we couldn’t hear each other without shouting. The food was also a disappointment, very limited menu, low quality food and always served Luke warm. One night I ordered goats cheese and asparagus salad. This comprised a pile of bitter rocket, 2 pieces of asparagus and literally a few crumbs of goats cheese. The waiters were doing their best but were mostly focusing on the larger tables and we were left sitting between courses. We only ate there 3 nights out of 7. We would certainly not eat in that restaurant if it was in our home town so why should we eat in it on holiday? Ambience nil. We ate at Tuscan Grill 3 nights all excellent food and service, but obviously had to pay extra and once in the buffet, but we didn’t like the buffet much either, Luke warm bland food. Breakfast room service however was excellent. Such a good choice on the menu compared to other lines and always served on time. This was a joy, we loved to sit on the balcony enjoying the views. The bar staff mostly worked hard especially in the pool bars. Entertainment was mediocre, shows in main theatre so so but no piano bar which we like best. There was a good guitar man I think he was called Nick and we liked the cello duo who were often in Cellar Masters bar. We only did one ship excursion and it was excellent. We did the vineyard experience in Montenegro. If you haven’t booked anything book this if you like the rural country side and wine. Lovely drive over the mountain to a small family run vineyard where we were given a tour then a lovely lunch and loads of their wine. So, while we weren’t miserable by any means, doubt we will sail on a Celebrity ship again because of the main dining room experience. Read Less

My two sisters and I (22, 28 and 32 yo) spent our last week of vacations in Europe on MSC Sinfonia. What was great? -Service in some areas (Dinner room and casino): Waiters went the extra mile to make sure we had what we needed. -Night shows: Dancers and performers are professionals and at times it felt like watching a circus show in Montreal. What was average? -Food overall: Not very tasty, not varied. Pizza was fresh, but it was barely decent. What sucked? -Embarkation/disembarkation + poor destination planning: We ended up spending less than 3 hours in Santorini due to the waiting times. This was also true (in different magnitudes) for many of the destinations in the cruise. For final disembarkation we ended up spending extra money on transportation to the airport because of these delays. -Insufficient spaces: Getting a table at the buffet (in different hours) or a spot to sunbath at any deck was very difficult. -Service in some areas (Pool and disco). Read Less

The Celebrity experience would be very hard to surpass in my opinion. From day 1 to disembarkation, every aspect of my cruise was excellent. We did the Adriatic & Italian itinerary which was amazing. The ship is very elegant, old Hollywood glamour I thought. We stayed in a balcony stateroom which I think is worth the extra money, returning to my room and being able go go out onto the balcony and see the sea and feel the breeze and listen to the sea was beautiful. The food is amazing, there is plenty of entertainment for all, staff were exceptional. Dining room staff were excellent, very intuitive without being intrusive. We met amazing people and had great conversations while dining and we were seated at tables for two, one can interact with others or otherwise depending on how comfortable you feel at that given time, the atmosphere was so lovely and we chatted to nearby diners. I was so impressed, I booked a cruise for next year while onboard. A thumbs up from me. I am probably spoiled now for future cruises. This was a 5 star experience for me. Read Less

This was an absolute fantastic holiday everything was perfect the cases we never saw they appeared outside the cabin from the airport.This is a small ship and we love it because it has a more personal approach you feel like one big family.The service was second to none and every member of staff had a genuine smiling face .The entertainment was great and food and drink was fantastic.We have a lot of people who made our holiday special but we cannot name them all we would like to give a big thank you for our cabin boy Patrick who was exceptional he certainly went the extra mile.Also like to mention the outstanding service we received every day from Kenneth he will never forget us (the grey goose clan).We would all like to give a big mention and a huge thanyou to Marcy Sarich hotel manager she was always out and about extremely approachable and ever so friendly she made our holiday and in fact we have just booked another two with you.Last but no means least we thank siva our dancing chef he makes a mean rice/noodles once again thank you Read Less

Ok, first off this was a 10 day Greek Island cruise not an 18 day one that the default this review site shows. Our first trip to Greece. Took the Windstar transfer from the airport. Navigating the Athens airport was easy. Transfer was a taxi driver with a sign. It was fine. Stayed at the Windstar hotel, the St. George. Lovely hotel. Rooms are fine. Location is great and the views from the rooftop restaurant and pool are spectacular. Took the transfer to the port. Bit of nonsense about having to have your luggage out 4 hours early. Don’t worry about that. You can bring it at the last minute. The port at Athens is a bit of a hassle. Pretty large and not well organized. Windstar did their best to get us on the ship as quickly as possible. But once on board it wasn’t very well done. Long line to register (which we had never experienced before). Then you had to stand in another line to book dinner in the specialty restaurants, another line for drink packages and yet another line to get the wifi package. Went to our room and signed up for the laundry package. We find this great value for the money. Never met our cabin steward until 2 days in which seemed a bit odd. Went to the main dining room, Amphora, the first night. Not our favorite. So we set out to try and get into Candles and Stella specialty restaurants the rest of the nights. Other than one night back at Amphora for a dinner hosted by the Destination Manager we managed to accomplish that. Candles is the outdoor eating experience and is our favorite spot. The French themed restaurant Stella is also very good with the best service on the ship. There is also a few nights where they offer a Sunset Dinner at the back of the ship. Not well advertised but you should take advantage of it. Our worst dining experience was actually the BBQ. We were really looking forward to it. A favorite night on our other cruises. The BBQ started at 7. It was overcrowded. We couldn’t get a seat outside. Had to sit in a corner of the bar eating almost off our laps. Food lines were long and frustrating. This one was a bust and a major disappointment. Our first stop was Napoli. We didn’t book a shore excursion there. Nice little town. Not crowded. Easy to manage on your own. Went back to the ship in the afternoon and swam off the sports deck (you had the option to do this at 3 stops). Take advantage of this. Much better than the pool. ( Before I forget, there was a very large group onboard from Purdue University. Nice enough crowd but a group booking this large kind of pushes everyone else to the side lines as the ship tends to cater first to them. ). The next stop was Mykonos. Definite hotspot for the party crowd and quite busy. We opted for a private tour here to a farm and dinner through Get Your Guide ( you can check out our review there). Great experience away from the din of the town. Then on to Syros. Place you likely haven’t heard of. Overall we liked these unexpected, unknown stops. Where the big ships dont go are the best stops. Took a ship tour of the town and monetary which we enjoyed very much. From there to the lone stop in Turkey. We really enjoyed Turkey. Took a long tour of Ephesus and a village. Ephesus was wonderful to experience. Draw back here, and it was a theme on our ship tours, you go with a bus load. The tour is long and difficult. That is spelled out in the description. But we still ended up with a contingent of folks who couldn’t handle the terrain and the pace. It caused some tension in our group. In the future we will stay away from the ship tours and book our own where we are in smaller groups. It is law in Turkey that at the end of a tour that you have to go for a Turkish rug explanation. We did this gritting our teeth knowing we had to get through it. Big surprise. We had a great time and ended up buying two carpets! Who knew. Then to top it off, of the last night of the cruise we won another carpet drawn from everyone who had bought one. That night was a big highlight. Windstar arranged for a dinner back at the ruins of Ephesus on the Harbor road where Mark Anthony and Cleopatra walked with the backdrop of the amphitheater where Paul preached to the Ephesians. It was a spectacular night that would be near difficult to beat. It was after hours and only the people from our ship. Not something that happens often. Rhodes was next. Good stop. Then on to Crete. Great time there because we booked our own tour. Went on the Landrover off road adventure through the mountains. Picked us up at the ship and took us right back 8 hours later. Toured the highest points over goat trails and had a ball with the English expat driver nick named Gary the Goat Killer (review on Get Your Guide). Lovely lunch, including our first taste of goat. Try it. It is quite good. On to Santorini. Probably our biggest disappointment. It is so overcrowded. Other than that picture card view you know, there isn’t much there. One person in our group was the victim of a pickpocketed so if you go beware in the crowded streets. We skipped the overpriced shopping and picked a lovely restaurant in Oia overlooking the sea. Excellent meal and they werent rushing us. Last stop was in Monemvasia. Only ship in port. Did the tour of the walled city and the Olive Oil farm. That would have been a real highlight if the guide wasn’t so bad. Was looking forward to the olive oil tasting at the end but she rushed us and we didn’t get the experience we wanted. There was no reason to screw it up. Our next stop was back to the ship and we had hours before it was leaving. Then overnight and our exit in Athens. Handled fairly well but it is a bit of a circus at the port. You pretty much have to trust that in the hectic place your luggage will make it to the airport. Instructions are not real clear and you have to listen to the local tour people what to do with your luggage along the curious route to the bus. Overall we enjoyed our first taste of Greece. Windstar was pretty much as expected. We did not enjoy the experience as much on Wind Surf as we have on the smaller Wind Star but not enough to keep us away. The ship is getting an upgrade in November so lets hope it looks a bit more ship shape next time we see her. Read Less

My husband and I decided to book a very spontaneous trip on MSC Magnifica four days before the ship was to set sail through Expedia. We were coming from Boston, USA and took a non-stop flight to Rome, then a smaller flight to Bari, Italy where we embarked. We read some of the negative reviews (mostly about smoking on the ship and staff being rude) but decided to risk the trip anyway. We are so happy we did!! We found most of the criticisms of MSC and the crew to be completely inaccurate. From the moment we boarded, the staff, crew and bartenders were fantastic and very responsive to any of our needs. We did not have to wait very long for drinks, everyone was friendly to us and the ship was gorgeous. The cabin was ready when we arrived with our bags already in the room. The cabin was nicely furnished, very clean, comfortable bed and a beautiful room with a balcony. The dining in the main dining room at night wasn't my favorite. The food was good but nothing blew me away with flavor. If you are what we call in the states "a foodie", this is probably not the cruise for you. The buffet for breakfast and lunch was good, however. Very nice salad bar, hamburgers, french fries, pasta, homemade pizzas, rice, Thai dishes and lots of other choices. We went on the cruise for the Ports of calls and a spontaneous adventure. The dining portion and food were a low priority for us. The Activities on the crew were fun, we danced, had drinks at the cool bars, sat in the sun, and attended many of the Broadway-style shows. They were cute shows with skilled dancers and singers and a nice way to end the night. The thing we loved the most was the amazing ports of call. Every Greek island and/or city (Venice, Montenegro, Bari) was outstanding. Too much to write but a trip of a lifetime. Everything and more that we had hoped for. I highly recommend this cruise. The only small difficulties were lots of Europeans do smoke, but only outside. Not many people spoke English so we were a little isolated (but my husband found that to be a positive lol), the initial Embarkment was a 2.5 hour wait to get on board, and lines were a bit confusing in the buffet area for breakfast and lunch. I recommend going to the buffet right when it opens to avoid the frenzy. The only people I found to complain were the Americans who didn't have a lot of travel experience. Their expectations were too high for some of the places they visited off the ship. We understood that traveling to these ancient cities there would be lines and confusion since they are not equipped for the influx of thousands of tourists descending on their infrastructure at one time. Some of the ports of calls would have 5 cruise ships show up at one time letting 4,000 people off per ship. One last thing, I do believe you need to be average to good shape to walk around these ports of call. I am in good shape (45 year old female) and found it to be moderate to above moderate exercise to get around with lots of cobblestone walkways and uneven terrain. I was grateful my 80 year old parents decided not to attend the cruise with us as I don't think they would have had the energy to walk around. Overall I would rate this an excellent trip and would do it again with my family in a heartbeat. Read Less